The present invention relates generally to a switch which indicates when a shift lever of a manually controlled transmission is positioned in or is entering the first gear/reverse gate.
Manual transmissions commonly include a reverse biasing mechanism including an interlock and a detent mechanism. The reverse biasing mechanism provides feedback, or a shift feel, to the vehicle operator to indicate where the vehicle operator is in the shift pattern. During vehicle operation, a the shift lever is moved towards a first gear/reverse gate, the detent mechanism coacts with a contoured surface on the interlock and provides resistance in the shift lever. This resistance alerts the vehicle operator that the transmission is in or about to engage the first gear or the reverse gear.
Some vehicle operators may desire a large number of speeds, whereas other operators may not. A typical multi-speed heavy vehicle manual transmission includes a main transmission gear box including five forward speeds and a reverse speed. At times it is desirable to have more speeds ratios, such as when driving through mountains. However, it may be undesirable to have an increased number of speed ratios when driving on flat landscape. Additionally, having many available speeds complicates shifting.
A range box and a splitter box are commonly utilized to increase the number of speeds available, making it possible to change the number of speeds in a transmission without have to replace the transmission. The range box modifies the five forward speeds between a HIGH range and a LOW range, doubling the number of available speeds to ten.
The splitter box can be utilized to split the speed ratios within each of the five main gears in the main transmission, also providing for a greater number of different speed. In this way, the splitter box also doubles the number of available speed ratios. In a manual transmission, the splitter box is only utilized while the transmission is in the first gear. During acceleration when pulling a heavy load, it is desirous to utilize the splitter box only when the transmission is in the first gear or low reverse gear to provide for more speed or to allow the vehicle to “creep.”
Hence, there is a need in the art for a switch which indicates when a shift lever of a manually controlled transmission is positioned in or is entering the first gear/reverse gate.